Susie Morgenstern

Ernest lives a constrained, boring life. His mother died when he was born, and his father disappeared shortly after, so Ernest is being raised by his grandmother, a woman so wrapped in the past that she has forgotten how to live. Every day Ernest walks the same way to school, eats the same foods, and studies diligently alone in his room. The ten years of his life had passed so far at a turtle's pace, as if it had been slowed down by the premature onset of old age. Then one day, a new girl show more appears in his class who changes everything with her forthright manner and large, boisterous family. Victoria introduces color and vivacity into the lives of Ernest and his grandmother.

He repeated {to his grandmother} something Victoria had said: "Energy is like eating. Once you try a little, you get an appetite."

With newly found confidence and togetherness, Ernest and his grandmother are able to confront the family's ghosts and move on.

My daughter and I read this aloud, and we both enjoyed it a great deal. My daughter relished the relationship between Ernest and Victoria and their escapades. I appreciated the relationship of a child and family member who are trying to overcome emotional inertia to reconnect and find a new way forward together. The language is smart and the story is touching without being sappy. Nicely done. show less

I loved the author's [b:A Book of Coupons|1186881|A Book of Coupons|Susie Morgenstern|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1309203652l/1186881._SY75_.jpg|1174867], and want to read more by her. Turns out this one seems to have somewhat similar a premise to [b:One Plus One Equals Blue|15793528|One Plus One Equals Blue|Mary Jane Auch|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1345686112l/15793528._SY75_.jpg|21515502], without the show more synesthesia, which I enjoyed last week. For me, the question is, if friendships are so much work, are they worth having?
..............
Ok done. Short answer, yes! At least, if your new friend is Victoria, and she comes with such an awe-inspiring family. Omg what a charming book. My only complaint? Too short.

Now I must admit that the first chapter is all Tell, worse than a prologue if that bothers you. But imo the technique here works, as it serves a special function of showing the contrast between Ernest's life so far and the way the rapid sequence of developments change his outlook and himself. And I admit that there are implausibilities and coincidences aplenty, but, again, they are appropriate to the kind of tale this is, the story of one magical season in the lives of Ernest, his staid & fearful grandmother, their righteous housekeeper, the blinkered schoolteacher....

Goodness, I do hope that I can find more by Morgenstern.

In the meantime, I found another copy of this in a LFL and so I reread it. My review stands exactly. show less

4.5 stars? 20 minutes for me to read, so I guess I should again before I take it back to the library.

Were you ever lucky enough to have an eccentric teacher who inspired you to look forward to going to school? One who treasured every student, and brought the whole classroom together as a team? Or have you wanted to be that kind of teacher?

This French 5th-grade teacher, this Santa look-alike, is even more fantastic than that. And yet, the story and characters feel real, the drama plausible. show more Funny, heartwarming, wise, and just about perfect for me.

The illustrations are not my favorite, but fans of [a:Quentin Blake|146|Quentin Blake|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1357194118p2/146.jpg] and [a:James Stevenson|68669|James Stevenson|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png] will like them fine. I will look for more by the author. show less

This book is a favorite of my childhood, a delight and a treasure. I first read it when I was 8, when 10-year-old were cool older kids, and have read it at least a dozen times, most recently, today. The kids in it are the kinds of kids I, as a child, wanted to be like. They are idealized maybe, but not in a Pollyanna-ish way (she is the kind of child adults would like children to be, I think), just--kids who are unabashedly and entirely themselves, interested and alive and kind and passionate.